A Deadly Night of Learning

Read Time:5 Minute, 26 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Vivisect
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Genre: Thriller
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 11 minutes
Director(s): Ava Dell’Orfano
Writer(s): Ava Dell’Orfano
Cast: Kaitlyn Nusz, Lianna Accettullo
Where to Watch: shown at the 2025 Art is Alive Film Festival

RAVING REVIEW: VIVISECT is a smart, unsettling thriller that understands how fear doesn’t always come from loud scares or sudden shocks. Sometimes terror grows slowly, like discomfort creeping into a room where you initially felt welcome. In just eleven minutes, writer-director Ava Dell’Orfano explores that shift with precision, crafting a story that begins with relatable stress and spirals into something much darker. Here, the familiar setting of a study session becomes a breeding ground for manipulation, obsession, and survival.

Margaret, played by Kaitlyn Nusz, embodies the anxieties many students know too well. She’s overwhelmed by classwork, uncertain about her future, and vulnerable enough to seize the chance for a genuine connection. The film grounds her struggles in real life before veering into the darker, more sinister aspects of the story. Those early moments matter — they’re what make her journey feel believable when the session turns into a nightmare.

Lianna Accettullo’s Addie enters the story as a lifeline, a classmate who offers kindness without hesitation. At first glance, she seems like the sort of new friend anyone might trust. But subtle cues — intentional pauses, slightly too-curious questions, the kind of lingering eye contact that suggests something more than empathy — foreshadow the danger ahead. The film respects its audience enough not to highlight the red flags; instead, it allows tension to build through performance choices and pacing.

Dell’Orfano doesn’t rush to reveal Addie’s intentions; she lets them simmer. When the reveal comes, it’s not just a frightening twist — it’s a betrayal Margaret should never have had to anticipate. Horror thrives on upended trust, and VIVISECT weaponizes the simple desire to belong. Margaret’s need for support becomes the very thing that puts her in danger.

Once the threat is clear, the short pivots into a fight for survival, but it avoids becoming a purely action-driven narrative. Margaret doesn’t suddenly transform into a fearless fighter — she’s scared, overwhelmed, and unprepared. What keeps her alive is instinct, desperation, and the smallest sliver of opportunity. This makes the struggle feel grounded rather than cinematic, and the audience feels the stakes in every scramble and escape attempt. The filmmakers understand that thriller tension doesn’t need large set pieces; it requires urgency and unpredictability.

The film benefits from smart sound design that escalates dread without overpowering the narrative. Silence becomes a weapon, isolating Margaret inside her own panic. Sudden noises feel sharper because the film refuses to rely on them as cheap jumps. This restraint shows confidence. The creative team knows their story doesn’t need to shock constantly for fear to take root. The only issue I had was the sound effects of the final scene, which, unfortunately, detracted from the impact of everything that had led up to it.

One of the strongest elements of the short is its exploration of the often-overlooked predator dynamic that can exist between women in genre films. Addie’s threat isn’t built on brute force — it’s psychological control, fixation, and manipulation. This angle offers a refreshing yet unsettling twist on typical thriller dynamics, adding social commentary without making it the central focus.

As Margaret turns the tables and fights back, the shift feels earned. She’s not transformed into an action hero — she simply refuses to be a victim. Her survival becomes a rejection of the insecurity that brought her into Addie’s home in the first place. There’s empowerment in that reversal, especially given the compact narrative. VIVISECT embodies the catharsis of witnessing a character reclaim their agency after it has been stripped away.

What resonates most in VIVISECT is its understanding of how horror often begins before the danger is visible. Every student who has ever felt lost can relate to Margaret’s vulnerability. The film taps into the human need to connect and twists it into something terrifying. That emotional relatability is what elevates the story beyond standard genre thrills. It suggests that the scariest threats might not be supernatural or exaggerated — they might come from someone who simply sees an opportunity.

As a selection of the Art Is Alive Film Festival, the film aligns beautifully with the showcase’s mission: celebrating bold, independent voices with something meaningful to say. Dell’Orfano demonstrates a strong command over suspense, character, and atmosphere — tools that are especially challenging to balance in short-form storytelling. It’s the work of a filmmaker who knows how to build trust with the audience just long enough to yank it away.

When the credits roll, the fear doesn’t vanish right away. It lingers in the idea that a moment of vulnerability could open the door to real danger. It challenges us to question the intentions of people who seem genuinely kind — not to promote paranoia, but to emphasize awareness. VIVISECT doesn’t preach. It warns. And that makes its message stay sharp long after the story ends.

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